After 23 Years, Tony & Ziva Will Change The Very Essence Of NCIS

A confirmed change in NCIS: Tony & Ziva is bound to rewrite the future of the franchise. Coming into the 2025-2026 TV cycle, NCIS season 23 will continue the Major Case Response Team’s commitment to tackling Navy-related injustices. Beyond that, however, the universe also has some major plots in development, including the debut of NCIS: Tony & Ziva.

Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo are set to return in the NCIS franchise via their own spinoff. The first show in the shared universe that will exclusively stream on Paramount+, there’s a lot of excitement to see the star-crossed lovers reunite on the big screen.

While NCIS: Tony & Ziva‘s story will be driven by the characters, it has massive implications for the wider franchise. And that boils down to one confirmed change in the show.

NCIS Will Have A Different Meaning In Tony & Ziva’s Spinoff

As confirmed in the NCIS: Tony & Ziva panel at the San Diego Comic-Con 2025, which was attended by ScreenRant, the meaning of “NCIS” in the spinoff will be different. Ever since the project was announced, questions about how it actually ties to the organization that Director Leon Vance is managing have been a major talking point.

Both Tony & Ziva have been off MCRT for a decade now. Both characters decided to leave the team that was then-managed by Leroy Jethro Gibbs for personal reasons. Additionally, plot details about NCIS: Tony & Ziva reveals that Weatherly’s character is managing a private security firm in Paris, with no ties to the Navy Yard-headquarted agency.

For context, “NCIS” means Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which is why the majority of their cases are tied to injustices in the Navy. All spinoffs in the franchise has also been about the agency — including NCIS: Origins, which tackles Gibbs’ start under Mike Franks’ NIS squad in Camp Pendleton.

How Changing NCIS’ Meaning In Tony & Ziva Rewrites The Franchise’s Future

Unfortunately, viewers would have to wait until NCIS: Tony & Ziva debuts in September to learn what the spinoff’s take on the acronym would be. The cast and showrunner John McNamara refused to even give any tease about it.

Regardless of what “NCIS” means in the European spinoff, however, changing the title opens many possibilities for the universe. Assuming that they are able to justify their creative liberty, any subsequent offshoot in the franchise could come up with their own meaning of “NCIS”. Stories no longer have anything to do with the Navy or the MCRT team in Navy Yard.

Upcoming shows could be about characters that do not have any history with any of the NCIS offices, like NCIS: Tony & Ziva. It could follow players who have their own paths, as long as the show can come up with the same acronym. It’s an interesting way to expand a franchise, especially as the flagship NCIS is struggling.